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| lan·guage [ láng gwij ] (plural lan·guages) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. communication with words: the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system
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2. speech of group: the speech of a country, region, or group of people, including its vocabulary, syntax, and grammar
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3. system of communication: a system of communication with its own set of conventions or special words
  sign language
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4. nonverbal communication between animals: a nonverbal form of communication used by birds and animals
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5. nonverbal communication between humans: the use of signs, gestures, or inarticulate sounds to communicate something
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6. specialist vocabulary: the forms of expression used by those in a particular group or sphere of activity
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7. style of verbal expression: the verbal style by which people express themselves
the language of diplomacy
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8. comput
Same as programming language
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| [13th century. < French langage< langue "tongue" < Latin lingua] |
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speak the same language to have values and interests in common with somebody so that it is possible to communicate effectively
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| Word Key: Synonyms |
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language, tongue, speech, dialect, idiolect
CORE MEANING: communication by words
language the human use of spoken or written words as a communication system, or the speech of a country, region, or group;
a full account of how we use language to communicate
Persian was for centuries the official language of much of the Indian subcontinent.
tongue a language used by a specific country, nation, or community;
students whose mother tongue is not English
Neither of them could speak the other's native tongue.
speech spoken language, especially as distinct from the written language;
The natural communication system for humans is speech, not typing messages on keyboards.
a writer trying to capture the patterns of speech of traditional village life
dialect a regional variety of a language, or a form of a language spoken by members of a specific social class or profession;
a dialect poem of 1730
A kill is a waterway in the local dialect.
idiolect an individual person's vocabulary and unique way of using language;
the distinct idiolect of each member of the family
With its phantasmagoric idiolect and cruel humor, this is a quite extraordinary book. |
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